


Tomorrow Will Be Better

by LearnedFoot



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Future Fic, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-29 01:20:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18216278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LearnedFoot/pseuds/LearnedFoot
Summary: It’s been one ofthosedays.





	Tomorrow Will Be Better

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while ago for the prompt “100 words of love confessions,” though it ended up being a bit longer than 100 words. Thanks to the encouragement of some friends, I finally decided to post it here.
> 
> Originally posted [here](https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/343874.html?thread=1990112322#cmt1990112322).

It’s been one of those days. You know, the kind where everything that can go wrong does, and on top of that the universe kicks you in the shin just to prove it can. It had started with the world’s most annoying intern spilling coffee all over his scrubs, then whopped him with a favorite patient showing up with another tumor, and rounded out the parade of shit with a little girl — Sarah, with her big bright eyes, halo of ringlets, love of dinosaurs — coding out on the table with his hand around her heart.

After thirty years, you’d think he’d be used to it. But some things you can’t get used to. So instead he comes up to this roof, cracks open a beer, and stares out across the skyline of Seattle, trying to convince himself that tomorrow will be better.

“Are you moping?”

He smiles to himself at the sound of Mer’s voice, but doesn’t bother responding as she comes up behind him. He’d never admit to doing anything as undignified as moping, but if he tries to deny it she’ll see right through him. She knows. She always knows.

“McIdiot is looking for you,” she says, settling next to him on the ledge. “I think he wants to apologize for the coffee.”

Alex rolls his eyes. Of course that kid is still worried about something that happened twelve hours ago. “Is it just me, or do they get dumber every year?”

“Oh, I don’t know. We were pretty dumb when we started.”

“Nah, they’re dumber, you’re just getting soft in your old age,” he argues, playfully nudging her with his elbow.

“Hey! Who’re you calling old? You’re the old one.” Her eyes are full of laughter as she says it, and if you ask him, she’s never looked better, old or not.

As he gazes at her, the laughter melts away into something more serious.

“It never gets easier, does it?” she finally says, taking his hand.

“Nope,” he agrees, and offers her a beer.

They lapse into comfortable silence, hands entangled, gazing over the view they’ve seen so many times it’s practically a part of them. Sometimes Alex thinks about the times he’s considered leaving — for Jo, and then, later, to get away from the memory of her — and boggles at the thought. It’s not that it couldn’t have made sense, once. But now, after so many years, he can’t imagine being anywhere else. This hospital is home. The people here are home.

Meredith is home.

The thought comes so clear, so sharp, he doesn’t stop to think before saying it out loud: “Mer, you’re my home.”

Okay, he realizes as she shoots him a skeptical look. Outside of his head, that sounded weird.

“Come again?” she asks. But to his surprise she doesn’t let go of his hand. In fact, she squeezes it tighter.

“I just mean —”

Well, what does he mean? He doesn’t really have to ask himself that. He knows. He’s known for a while, even if he hasn’t examined it very closely. Well, fuck it. If there’s anything this hospital he calls home has taught him, it’s that life’s too fucking short.

“I mean I love you," he declares with more confidence than he feels. His heart is suddenly pounding double speed. "I feel like I should make a big speech or something, but I’m too old for that. So there it is: Meredith Grey, I love you.”

To his surprise, she laughs — not cruelly, but the light tinkle he associates with her at her most joyful.

“Well, about time you realized!” she says, before pulling him into a kiss.

Twenty minutes later, they decide maybe they’re too old to be making out on the roof, and agree to head back to her place.

“You know,” she says, casting a final look back at the Seattle cityscape. “Cristina will murder you if you mess this up.”

Alex throws an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a hug. “Oh, I know,” he agrees. “That’s why I’m not going to mess it up.”

**Author's Note:**

> As always, feedback is deeply appreciated.


End file.
